The huge Ross fleet received sufficient food supplements in the waters of Saaremaa Island, and a large amount of baked smoked herrings were directly converted into military rations.
The fishing operation has just begun!
Why go to Bernholm Island to grab fish? The huge Gulf of Riga is right in front of us. Due to the inability of the natives along the coast, the fishery resources here are almost undeveloped. The herring paradise is the warehouse of the Russians.
Since the rain ended, a large number of fishing boats have been floating in the waters south of the island, trawling during the day and fishing with lights at night. A large number of large herrings as long as a man's arm are caught on the deck.
Some people even threw out bait to catch deep-sea cod, and the harvest was equally fruitful.
Not only is the southernmost tip of Fish Saaremaa Island, it is also the summer habitat of wild geese and wild ducks. Now Ross hunters have come to kill it. They hunted birds to obtain feathers for arrow fletching, and the oil was also a treasure.
Thousands of people from the principality and the Swedes who came after them tried their best to plunder. Rurik estimated that their rampant hunting and fishing activities would definitely attract the group of Baltic tribes belonging to various tribes along the coast. people's attention.
Whether it is good to be noticed by those people, it is best for the people of the principality to spontaneously interact with the locals. It doesn't matter whether it is violent or peaceful contact, after all the locals will adapt to Ross's rule.
But Rurik didn’t care about all this for the time being.
There are still more than a hundred ships of all sizes in the Ross fleet that continue to go south. The entire fleet raises the iconic triangle sail and moves forward against the south wind.
The warriors wiped their swords and rubbed the edge with hard leather to ensure absolute sharpness.
The bundled arrows placed in wooden boxes were moved to the deck, and the ropes were untied for ready access by the warriors on the deck.
Those torsion slingshots protected by oilcloths were all opened, and the people holding the seal anointing stalls dug out the oil with their hands, smearing the tough hemp ropes and tendons of the slingshots, and also the ones that fired the stone projectiles. The rail grooves are well greased.
Rurik relied on semaphores to communicate with the ships. He did not issue battle orders, but asked everyone to prepare for battle.
Each ship is strictly prohibited from fighting without authorization, and will always remain on alert if the flagship does not raise its battle flag.
Eight sail cruisers rode the waves, forming a wedge formation, followed by ships of various sizes.
The entire military is equipped with as many as 200 ship-borne torsion slingshots, each of which can launch a half-pound conical iron bullet to a distance of 300 meters.
On the deck standby are soldiers holding various long-range weapons, making the proportion of long-range soldiers in the Russian army almost 100%.
It is such an army that completely subverts the naval warfare model in the Baltic Sea. Even in the Mediterranean, this is the only one.
Are the Bernholms capable of dealing with the Russian Navy?
Around the island of Bornholm, the islanders’ fishing boats are still floating in the sea.
Today's fishermen must remain highly vigilant, and they have reached a tacit agreement to retreat as soon as they see a boat with a spinnaker.They also became conservative and did not dare to sail to distant waters to fish.
Even if the harvest from fishing offshore is not much, at least it is very safe.
A considerable number of fishermen have left, and the attitudes of the people who remain are equally complex.
They have no concept of rurality at all. As long as they keep their own fishing boats, they can be at home all over the world. If one day Bernholm can no longer stay, then leave!
It is extremely easy for a family of five with two or three children to escape. They either go straight to Denmark in the west or to Götaland in the north, but they just throw their limited bottles and cans on the river. Boat, you can leave lightly.
But those big families that raised a large number of slaves and owned mansions and warehouses had become too bloated, and it was impossible to evacuate lightly.
Today, the core strength of the island is such large families, who have committed themselves to their slaves and fishing tenants.
Swinder, the recommended wordsmith, is gone and never returns! It has been a long time. Could it be that he has been beheaded by the Russians?
Until the fishermen saw a large fleet approaching, the large number of triangular sails illuminated by the sun, and the blue lines clearly visible on them, simply sentenced Bernholm to death.
“I saw the fishing boats, they are running away!” One of his men informed Rurik who was resting in the cabin.
"Oh? It's almost here? Can you see that island?"
"Not yet. There is a thin sea fog now, and the sea is not clear yet." The messenger said He said and suggested: "Maybe our army can capture a ship and ask them to take us to the island."
Rurik thought for a while, "There is no need to go to such trouble. If they escape, they don't want to fight. Our army will follow , those who escape will lead us to our destination. Forget it! I’m going to the deck now.”
There was still some sea fog in the morning, and at noon, a hazy dark green appeared on the sea surface.
That’s Bernholm!
The south wind became strong, the atmosphere rose to the top wind, and the air became extremely clear. The people on standby on the fleet have clearly seen the details of the island, such as a fishing village.
Rurik pulled the speaker to his side who was in a complicated mood, pointed at the phantom in the fishing village and asked loudly: "Most of your people live in this village?"
"No! This is just a small village. You... must continue walking along the coastline, and you will see a small bay, where most of the people are."
Rurik nodded, he took this ride many years ago. The ship circles Bernholm in a brutal hunt.
Now, he did not hesitate to tell Swinder clearly about the matter.
Looking at Swinder, he was clearly gnashing his teeth in anger, but on the surface he was pretending to be kind.
"Are you angry?" Rurik asked deliberately.
"I didn't."
"No need to hide it. If it were me, I would be angry too."
What else can Swinder do? self and islandThe lives of the people are in the hands of the Russian Navy.
Rurik continued to sigh: "Ah! I thought of something. I know your large coastal settlement, and you once organized an army to intercept me. Face it! A hundred long ships also It is no match for my Aurora. Now I have eight identical ships, and the weapons and equipment are better than those of many years ago."
Swinder could only follow along and said: "So, we will be on our own once this happens. Seeking death."
"It's good that you know."
"So, I hope you won't kill anyone after landing."
Rurik shrugged: "I am here to conquer new subjects. If I really want to kill, I will only kill some individuals." At this point, he clenched his fists and showed his fangs: "However, there will definitely be resistance. Those who resist will be killed without mercy."
"How?"
"You need to be smart to stop those guys."
Swinder sighed. No need to talk nonsense now. "I will work hard to avoid war. Since you have offered such generous terms, I think the whole island will be peacefully incorporated into Rus."
"I hope they are as smart as you."
But is it really that simple?
Swinder didn’t know that the tall hero king standing next to him had divided all the islanders into different levels in his heart, and had made different reservations for people of different levels. fate.
When the Ross Navy can clearly see the details of the island, the islanders can also clearly see the Ross fleet approaching.
But it took time for news of the invasion to reach the largest settlement on the island, so when the fleet arrived at its true destination, it was like a divine force descending from heaven.
The Ross fleet was photographed in a wide formation, making the army appear huge.
Look at this formation! The big bad guy with the spinnaker is coming! This is the real Russian army!
The big families on the island were greatly shocked. The horns began to sound wildly, and the entire settlement exploded.
Because now there is an extremely disadvantageous situation for the islanders.
"The damn Russians have blocked our port! The ships can no longer leave!"
"The Russians must be planning to kill us! Fight them."< /p>
"Send the women and children to the hills quickly, and those who can take up weapons will fight."
Each big family has its own ideas, but they all take up weapons. Just because this is their last resort when they are forced into a desperate situation.
A group of women rushed to the stone hill in the center of the island with their children. There were also small families who fled to the forest on the island. Some women also picked up harpoons and shields to join the army.
This was clearly a matter of life and death. The huge fishing village suddenly organized an army of more than 2,000 people.
This Viking army composed of fishermen was a force that could go sideways in the Franks, but what they encountered was the Ross army.
Shields painted in various colors were lined up on the shore to form a shield wall. The people watching eagerly stayed behind the shields, holding their weapons and waiting for the Russians to land.
Unexpectedly, the Russian navy did not implement typical Viking-style beach surfing. After all, big ships cannot use beaching tactics.
Rurik saw the guys in formation. He aimed a wooden measuring sight at the shield wall on the shore and estimated that the enemy was already at a position within the maximum range of the torsion slingshot.
Rurik can tease Sweeten: "It seems that your people are very bloody. They mobilized for war in a very short time. They chose to resist. They are indeed Odin's warriors!" Odin is indeed watching us, maybe I should comply with their intentions and kill them all."
Swinder panicked: "You can't fight them!"< /p>
"Maybe they foolishly thought they still had the capital to fight." Rurik shrugged, "I'm going to start landing. I hope they can act smart enough."
Rurik shrugged. Gram issued a new order, and the small boats fixed to the sides of each ship began to be lowered.
A ship such as Avora can accommodate eight small boats, each of which can accommodate ten people. Theoretically, all the soldiers on the ship can be transported away in one transport.
Every ship was releasing the boat, and the soldiers disembarked along the thrown rope net and began to paddle forward.
The Ross fleet moves very fast, but it seems to be slow to start this operation.
In any era, facing a well-prepared enemy beach, landing on the beach is risky, so Rurik did not dare to neglect at all.
When each ship launched its small boat, they all faced the enemy on both sides. The torsion slingshot that was not facing the enemy was removed and temporarily placed on the enemy side.
The warriors sitting in the boats all carried bucklers on their backs, and almost all had steel swords hanging on their waists. Four people rowed oars and six held crossbows. Because the enemy is waiting on the shore, who can be sure that the enemy is just watching?
Can history repeat itself? This scene reminded Rurik of his first expedition against the Karelians.
Looking at the armed fishermen of Bernholm who were guarding the coast, the young people were filled with anger. The Ross army landed in small boats. In their view, the enemy's ferocious ships were no longer brave enough. .
In the past days, everyone was bullied too hard. While angry, they were inevitably timid towards the Russians.
Nearly a thousand people have died in the past few years, all of which were caused by the Russians.
An impulsive voice suddenly shouted: "What are you fools afraid of? Go up and chop them to death!"
A dramatic scene occurred!
The crowd became more and more impetuous, and the restlessness of the armed fishermen caused internal pushing and shoving, and some people pushed the soldiers in the front row away from the shield wall.
How could this not be a sign of offense to others?
As soon as the first group of Russians landed, the armed fishermen of Bernholm made their choice - to fight.
Those islander soldiers who were pushed out by their companions actually triggered the advance of the entire army. At first, a small number of people advanced, and soon the entire front line was in chaos. The soldiers in the rear who did not know what was going on felt that the decisive battle was now. The moment when revenge comes to repay wrong is not to be missed. Their astonishingly loud Viking battles further boosted the prestige of those at the front.
This move undoubtedly shocked the Russians who had just landed. The battle started before the army had a firm foothold?
Rurik frowned and stamped his feet angrily, but at this moment, Swinder was completely dumbfounded by the embarrassing situation.
Swinder realized that his friends had made the stupidest choice after all, or the bravest choice, but it was definitely not the wisest choice. He also dreamed of landing together in the Kingdom of Ross soon and opening his mouth to resolve the misunderstanding. It's all over now...
"This is their choice!" Rurik said fiercely, and then ordered: "Blow the trumpet! Beat the drum! Raise the flag! Fight!"
It's been a long time since The defensive Ross Navy immediately started fighting after receiving the order. As many as 150 torsion slingshots were already aimed at the beach, and the first salvo was coming!
The half-pound cast iron bullet is actually very small, and has a deliberately inclined groove on it. In this way, such a projectile begins to spin violently during flight, which will naturally reduce the design cost and make the stability extremely excellent.
Dense black shadows flew high into the sky, and the projectiles swirled and fell at high speed.
The Mercedes-Benz Bernholm armed fisherman was hit bloody by the falling projectile without even realizing it.
More than fifty people were killed or injured in this single blow, but it was still not enough to contain the onslaught of the islanders.
Do we have to fight them in close combat? Seeing the approaching enemy, the Russian army decisively suspended the landing.
The ship that had just grabbed the beach was pushed into the water again, and the soldiers stood on the ship and fired arrows wildly at the approaching enemy.
Steel-arm crossbows, wooden-arm crossbows, short wooden bows, long bows, and recurve bows can deliver devastating and precise blows to the enemy.
This surprised the Bernholm islanders who thought they could push the Russians into the sea and drown them. The action became meaningless. The Russians were still floating near the shore, relying on their strong bows and crossbows. Shooting, he is so cowardly that he refuses to participate in the fight.
It was too late for the Bernholm Islanders to regret it.
Even the most powerful bull trebuchet began to shoot large pebbles, and hitting an enemy would definitely break the muscles and bones.
The islanders of Bernholm struggled to support themselves by relying on their shields. Although their oak bucklers had good defense, they were still penetrated by the heavy arrows fired by the steel-armed crossbows and collapsed.
However, those who were heavily armed were just ordinary fishermen, and even a group of slaves who were forced to fight. They were so poor that they had no armor at all, and a large number of them even went into battle shirtless. The flesh and blood bodies were turned into horrific minced meat under the intensive attack of projectiles and arrows. The tragic situation caused panic, and morale may collapse at any time.
The war turned completely one-sided.It’s not what Rurik wants to see, but it is indeed the islanders’ choice.
Everything is under the control of Rurik. The Russian army can deliberately delay and rely on strong bows and crossbows to destroy the morale of the Bernholm islanders.
No, in the face of attacks from various types of free-firing long-range weapons, the army of islanders gathered out of revenge faced massive casualties, but they were too weak to hurt Ross alone. Morale has been shattered and this army has collapsed! They began to flee frantically...
The Russian army resumed landing, but the victory did not make Rurik happy.
"A simple battle, your people have already lost." Rurik pointed at the helpless Swinder and said.
"Next...are you...going to kill them all?"
"Your words are trembling, do you think I am just a ruthless killer?"< /p>
Swinder was speechless...
Rurik looked indifferent: "I said, those who resolutely resist will be killed. I don't believe that those fishermen launched a spontaneous all-out attack. Someone must have been instigating it. They all thought they could defeat me. I want to kill the planner, and you will be responsible for maintaining stability. "
Soon, Order a flag to be raised and all ships to suspend firing.
At the same time, the flagship relied on semaphore soldiers to communicate with the landing soldiers.
Both Arik and Ragnar completed the landing with their men. Since the islanders chose war, even Ragnar, a down-and-out Danish lord who had no hostility to the islanders, planned to kill them.
Just when they were about to pursue the victory, they saw the prince's ceasefire order.
"Damn it! It's unreasonable not to chase at the critical moment." Arik muttered fiercely, as long as he stopped his troops.
"Are we waiting here?" Ragnar asked.
"Wait! Ah! My lovely brother will be a benevolent monarch again. As long as he likes it. Ragnar, take your people to clean the battlefield first, your sword and mine must meet Blood, and stabbed all their wounded to death."
Ragnar nodded and led his brothers to do the work aggressively, but when he saw that there was a woman struggling with the arrow, he still refused after all. Take action. After lamenting that the islanders were so destitute that they wanted women to fight, he ordered his subordinates to take the injured woman away first and deal with it. And Arik has no worries, which shows that Ragnar is also a kind man.
In fact, Ragnar has always had his own ambitions. His men took away twenty lightly wounded female soldiers and tied them up to await treatment. Once these female prisoners are rescued, they will be absorbed by the down-and-out "Stonewall" tribe. Ragnar has made up his mind. No matter what the Prince of Ross says, the disposal of these female prisoners must be in his own hands.